Chief Minister, Council of Ministers & Advocate General of Rajasthan: Comprehensive Study Material
Study Material#
Chief Minister, Council of Ministers & Advocate General of Rajasthan: Comprehensive Study Material#
1. Chief Minister and Council of Ministers: Constitutional Provisions
Part 6 (Articles 163 to 167 and Article 177) of the Indian Constitution contains detailed provisions regarding the constitutional position of the State Council of Ministers and the Chief Minister.
Key Constitutional Articles#
| Article |
Constitutional Provision & Explanation |
| Article 163(1) |
Council of Ministers to aid and advise Governor: Except in matters where the Governor is required to act in his discretion, there shall be a Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister to aid and advise the Governor. |
| Article 163(2) |
If any question arises whether a matter falls within the Governor's discretion, the Governor's decision shall be final. |
| Article 163(3) |
Protection from Judicial Review: The advice given by Ministers to the Governor cannot be inquired into in any court. |
| Article 164(1) |
Appointment of Chief Minister: The Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor, and other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor. |
| Article 164(1A) |
Size of Council of Ministers (91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003): The total number of Ministers including the Chief Minister shall not exceed 15% of the total number of members of the Legislative Assembly. The number of Ministers including the Chief Minister shall not be less than 12. In Rajasthan: 200 × 15% = 30 (maximum), minimum 12. |
| Article 164(1B) |
Disqualification on Defection: If a MLA is disqualified under the Tenth Schedule, he shall also be disqualified for the post of Minister. |
| Article 164(2) |
Collective Responsibility: The Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the State. |
| Article 164(3) |
Oath: Before assuming office, the Governor administers the Oath of Office and Secrecy to Ministers as per the Third Schedule. |
| Article 164(4) |
Non-MLA as Minister: A Minister who is not a member of either House of the State Legislature for 6 consecutive months shall cease to be a Minister after that period. |
| Article 166 |
Conduct of Business: All executive actions of the State Government shall be expressed to be taken in the name of the Governor. |
| Article 167 |
Duties of Chief Minister: To communicate to the Governor all decisions of the Council of Ministers relating to administration and legislation; to furnish information as the Governor may require; to submit for consideration of the Council any matter on which a Minister has taken a decision but not considered by the Council. |
| Article 177 |
Rights of Ministers in Houses: Every Minister shall have the right to speak in and take part in the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly (and Legislative Council, where exists), but shall be entitled to vote only in that House of which he is a member. |
2. Administrative Structure and Work of the Council of Ministers
2.1 Council of Ministers and Cabinet#
Council of Ministers: The broad constitutional body comprising Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers.
Cabinet: Its smaller policy-making core. The term was formally mentioned in Article 352 by the 44th Constitutional Amendment of 1978. Major policy decisions are made by the Cabinet.
2.2 Categories of Ministers#
| Category |
Role |
| Cabinet Minister |
Heads a department such as Home, Finance or Revenue and participates in Cabinet meetings. |
| Minister of State with independent charge |
Independently handles an assigned department and answers directly to the Chief Minister. |
| Minister of State |
Works under a Cabinet Minister. |
| Deputy Minister |
Junior minister who gains administrative, political and parliamentary experience. |
2.3 Main Functions and Powers#
| Function |
Description |
| Policy |
Formulates and implements state policy in agriculture, industry, health, education, energy and employment. |
| Legislation |
Prepares, introduces and secures passage of government bills in the Assembly. |
| Finance |
Finalises the annual budget, supplementary demands and taxation proposals. |
| Senior appointments |
Recommends to the Governor appointments such as the Advocate General, RPSC chairperson and members, and State Election Commissioner. |
| Crisis response |
Takes prompt executive decisions during famine, drought, flood and law-and-order crises. |
3. History of Rajasthan Chief Ministers
3.1 Nominated period, 1949–1952#
| No. |
Chief Minister |
Term |
Exam fact |
| 1 |
Hira Lal Shastri |
7 April 1949 – 5 January 1951 |
Rajasthan's first Chief Minister, then called Prime Minister; founded Banasthali Vidyapith. |
| 2 |
C. S. Venkatachari |
6 January 1951 – 25 April 1951 |
Only ICS officer and civil servant to become Rajasthan Chief Minister. |
| 3 |
Jai Narayan Vyas |
26 April 1951 – 3 March 1952 |
Known as Sher-e-Rajasthan and Loknayak; oversaw the first general election in 1952. |
3.2 Elected period, 1952–present#
| No. |
Chief Minister |
Term |
Exam fact |
| 4 |
Tika Ram Paliwal |
3 March 1952 – 31 October 1952 |
First elected Chief Minister; later first Deputy Chief Minister. |
| 5 |
Jai Narayan Vyas |
1 November 1952 – 13 November 1954 |
Only leader who served as both nominated and elected Chief Minister. |
| 6 |
Mohanlal Sukhadia |
13 November 1954 – 9 July 1971 |
Longest tenure, about 17 years; called the maker of modern Rajasthan; associated with abolition of jagirdari, launch of three-tier Panchayati Raj at Nagaur on 2 October 1959, and start of the Indira Gandhi Nahar Project. |
| 7 |
Barkatullah Khan |
9 July 1971 – 11 October 1973 |
First and only Muslim Chief Minister; died in office. |
| 8 |
Haridev Joshi |
11 October 1973 – 29 April 1977; also 1985–88 and 1989–90 |
Served three times; second period of President's Rule began in 1977 during his tenure; divisional administration was restored in 1987. |
| 9 |
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat |
22 June 1977 – 16 February 1980; also 1990–92 and 1993–98 |
First non-Congress Chief Minister; known as the Lion of Rajasthan and Babosa; launched Antyodaya in 1977; later India's 11th Vice-President, 2002–07. |
| 10 |
Jagannath Pahadia |
6 June 1980 – 14 July 1981 |
First Scheduled Caste Chief Minister; introduced full prohibition. |
| 11 |
Shiv Charan Mathur |
14 July 1981 – 23 February 1985; also 1988–89 |
Resigned after the Deeg firing incident in 1985, accepting moral responsibility. |
| 12 |
Hira Lal Devpura |
23 February 1985 – 10 March 1985 |
Shortest tenure as Chief Minister: 16 days. |
| 13 |
Ashok Gehlot |
1998–2003, 2008–13, 2018–23 |
Served three times; associated with the Right to Health, Chiranjeevi health insurance, Old Pension Scheme, creation of 19 districts and three divisions in 2023, and Jaipur Metro. |
| 14 |
Vasundhara Raje Scindia |
2003–08, 2013–18 |
First woman Chief Minister; associated with Bhamashah, Mukhyamantri Jal Swavalamban Abhiyan, Gaurav Path and Rajshree schemes. |
| 15 |
Bhajan Lal Sharma |
In office from 15 December 2023 |
From Bharatpur; first-time MLA from Sanganer, Jaipur; associated with the PKC-ERCP tripartite memorandum and a special investigation team on paper leaks. |
Important facts#
| Fact |
Answer |
| Most terms as Chief Minister |
Mohanlal Sukhadia, four terms. |
| Youngest Chief Minister |
Mohanlal Sukhadia, age 38. |
| Died in office |
Barkatullah Khan, 1973. |
| Shortest tenure |
Hira Lal Devpura, 16 days. |
| First woman Chief Minister |
Vasundhara Raje, 2003. |
4. Confidence and No-Confidence Motions in Rajasthan
4.1 No-Confidence Motion#
Legal Basis: Under Rule 143 of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, any member of the opposition can bring a no-confidence motion.
Rules & Conditions:
- Support of at least 1/10 members (20 MLAs) is mandatory for presenting the motion.
- If the motion is passed by majority, the Council of Ministers must resign immediately.
History in Rajasthan Legislative Assembly:
- A total of 13 no-confidence motions have been brought in Rajasthan so far.
- First No-Confidence Motion: Brought against Tika Ram Paliwal government in 1952 (First Assembly) by Indranath Modi (Independent).
- Chief Minister who faced maximum No-Confidence Motions: Mohanlal Sukhadia (6 times against him).
- Result: No no-confidence motion has ever been passed in Rajasthan's history (all fell).
4.2 Confidence Motion#
Nature: This motion is brought by the government (Chief Minister) to prove that it has full confidence/majority in the House.
History in Rajasthan Legislative Assembly:
- A total of 5 confidence motions have been presented in Rajasthan so far.
- All 5 confidence motions were passed (government succeeded in proving its majority).
| No. |
Assembly |
Chief Minister |
Date |
Result |
| 1 |
9th |
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat |
23 March 1990 |
Passed (by voice vote) |
| 2 |
9th |
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat |
08 November 1990 |
Passed (For: 116, Against: 80) |
| 3 |
10th |
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat |
31 December 1993 |
Passed (For: 108, Against: 0) |
| 4 |
13th |
Ashok Gehlot |
2009 |
Passed (by voice vote) |
| 5 |
15th |
Ashok Gehlot |
14 August 2020 |
Passed (by voice vote during political crisis) |
Important Fact: Bhairon Singh Shekhawat is the only Chief Minister of Rajasthan who received 3 confidence votes in the Assembly. The remaining 2 were obtained by Ashok Gehlot.
5. Chief Minister's Office
The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) is the highest executive body of state administration, located in the State Secretariat (Jaipur). It provides strategic and administrative support to the Chief Minister for his policy, political, legislative, and administrative responsibilities.
CMO Structure#
| Wing |
Components |
| Administrative Wing |
Additional Chief Secretary / Principal Secretary to CM; Joint Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Section Officers |
| Expert Wing |
Economic Advisor; IT & Policy Advisor |
| Public Relations Wing |
OSD (Press/Media); Public Dialogue & Jan Sunwai Cell |
Key Functions of CMO#
| Function |
Description |
| Policy Coordination |
Resolving inter-departmental conflicts and setting priorities. |
| Coordination with Secretariat |
Ensuring implementation of Cabinet decisions through the Chief Secretary. |
| Public Grievance Redressal |
Managing CM Jan Sunwai; Rajasthan Sampark Portal (181 Helpline). |
| Legislative Work |
Preparing statements, attention motions, and assurances for the Assembly. |
| Press & Public Relations |
Managing CM's tours, official press releases, speeches, and media. |
| CMRF |
Execution of financial assistance for accidents, disasters, and serious illnesses. |
6. Advocate General of Rajasthan
6.1 Constitutional Provisions and Appointment#
| Subject |
Constitutional Status & Description |
| Related Articles |
Article 165 (post, qualification & functions) and Article 177 (privileges in House). |
| Appointing Authority |
By the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers. |
| Qualifications |
The person must be qualified to be a Judge of a High Court: 1. He must be a citizen of India. 2. He must have held a judicial office for at least 10 years in the territory of India, OR has been an advocate of a High Court for at least 10 years. |
| Term |
No fixed term prescribed by the Constitution. He holds office during the pleasure of the Governor. (By convention, the Advocate General resigns on formation of a new government.) |
| Salary & Remuneration |
No fixed salary mentioned in the Constitution; he receives remuneration as determined by the Governor. |
6.2 Functions and Duties of the Advocate General#
| Function |
Description |
| Legal advice |
Advises the state government on legal matters assigned by the Governor. |
| Court representation |
Represents the state government in the Rajasthan High Court at Jodhpur and Jaipur and in the Supreme Court. |
| Constitutional duties |
Performs legal functions assigned by the Constitution or another law. |
6.3 Privileges and Limits#
| Aspect |
Description |
| Participation in House (Article 177) |
The Advocate General has the right to speak in, take part in the proceedings of, and sit in any parliamentary committee (of which he is nominated as a member) of the State Legislature. |
| Critical Exception |
He does not have the right to vote in the House. |
| Privileges like MLAs |
He enjoys all immunities and privileges similar to members of the State Legislature. |
| Private Practice |
He is not a government servant; hence he can do private legal practice, provided he does not represent any case against the State Government. |
6.4 Important Facts about Rajasthan's Advocate General#
| Fact |
Details |
| First Advocate General |
Gulabchand Kasliwal (G.C. Kasliwal) — became first Advocate General of Rajasthan in 1957 after state reorganization. |
| Longest Tenure |
G.C. Kasliwal (1957 to 1972 — about 15 years). |
| Famous Personality |
Renowned jurist and Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. Laxmi Mall Singhvi (L.M. Singhvi) was also Advocate General of Rajasthan in 1972. |
| Current Advocate General |
Rajendra Prasad Gupta (assumed office on 3 February 2024) . |
| Headquarters |
The main office of the Advocate General is in Jodhpur (main seat of Rajasthan High Court) and an office in Jaipur Bench. |
7. Quick Revision Table
| Fact / Question |
Exact Answer / Constitutional Position |
| Maximum & Minimum Ministers in Rajasthan |
Maximum = 30 (200 × 15%), Minimum = 12 (Article 164(1A)) |
| Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to |
State Legislative Assembly (Article 164(2)) |
| Ministers are individually responsible to |
Governor (Article 164(1)) |
| First Elected Chief Minister of Rajasthan |
Tika Ram Paliwal (March 1952) |
| Only CM who was both Nominated & Elected |
Jai Narayan Vyas |
| First Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan |
Tika Ram Paliwal |
| Longest serving Chief Minister |
Mohanlal Sukhadia (about 17 years) |
| Shortest serving Chief Minister |
Hira Lal Devpura (only 16 days) |
| First SC Chief Minister of Rajasthan |
Jagannath Pahadia (1980) |
| First Non-Congress Chief Minister |
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (1977 - Janata Party) |
| First Woman Chief Minister of Rajasthan |
Vasundhara Raje (2003) |
| Chief Minister who died in office |
Barkatullah Khan (1973) |
| Total No-Confidence Motions in Rajasthan |
13 times (maximum 6 against Mohanlal Sukhadia; none passed) |
| Total Confidence Motions in Rajasthan |
5 times (Bhairon Singh Shekhawat - 3, Ashok Gehlot - 2; all 5 passed) |
| Officer who participates in House without voting rights |
Advocate General (Article 177) |
| First Advocate General of Rajasthan |
G.C. Kasliwal (1957) |
| Current Advocate General of Rajasthan |
Rajendra Prasad Gupta (February 2024) |
Final Revision Table#
| Topic |
Key Point |
Exam Importance |
| Council of Ministers |
Article 163-164 |
★★★★★ |
| Max Ministers in Rajasthan |
30 (15% of 200) |
★★★★★ |
| Min Ministers in Rajasthan |
12 |
★★★★★ |
| Collective Responsibility |
Legislative Assembly |
★★★★★ |
| First CM |
Heera Lal Shastri |
★★★★★ |
| First Elected CM |
Tika Ram Paliwal |
★★★★★ |
| Longest Tenure CM |
Mohanlal Sukhadia (~17 years) |
★★★★★ |
| Shortest Tenure CM |
Heera Lal Devpura (16 days) |
★★★★★ |
| First Woman CM |
Vasundhara Raje |
★★★★★ |
| First Non-Congress CM |
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat |
★★★★★ |
| First SC CM |
Jagannath Pahadia |
★★★★★ |
| First Muslim CM |
Barkatullah Khan |
★★★★★ |
| CM who died in office |
Barkatullah Khan |
★★★★★ |
| No-Confidence Motions |
13 (none passed) |
★★★★★ |
| Confidence Motions |
5 (all passed) |
★★★★★ |
| Advocate General |
Article 165 |
★★★★★ |
| AG Voting Rights |
None |
★★★★★ |
| First AG |
G.C. Kasliwal |
★★★★★ |
| Current AG |
Rajendra Prasad Gupta |
★★★★★ |
| Current CM |
Bhajan Lal Sharma |
★★★★★ |
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